On this fair Valentine’s day, I thought I’d share some paperback love and give you some fantastic resources for your natural beautifying journey. There are loads of books, magazines and blogs that offer value-for-time, but shifting through the “noise” can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. I’ve read my share of beauty books, natural healing guides and of course specific diets that promise to work wonders on your skin, weight, hair and overall glow. While there is no secret (and anyone who tells you their way is the best way for everyone, run for the hills) there are a myriad of great resources that you can integrate into your own lifestyle. My recommendation is pick what works for you, integrate what you can and make your lifestyle yours. Balance is the key.

On that note, what are your favourite Wellness Reads? Leave me some of your favourites in the comments below – I’d love to know what I’ve been missing!

As far as my readings go, I have favourites in different areas of natural beauty and wellness, so ill talk about them by category.

Eating for Beauty & Recipe Books

If you enjoy the “eating for beauty” part of my blog then you will love these reads:

Nutrition Expert David Wolfe brings us Eating for Beauty – a fantastic go-to book for learning how to cleanse, detox and and nourish yourself to health and beauty. What I love about Wolfe is that he goes beyond just the food and recognizses that other components in life contribute to vitality and glowing skin (yoga, beauty sleep, and the psychology of beauty to name a few). He leaves us with a small selection of recipes and a better understanding of “why”, “what’ and most importantly,”how”.

Mimi Kirk is my hero. At AGE 70she was voted the sexiest vegan over 50 by PETA. On the cover of her book she was SEVENTY TWO and today looking lovely as ever at 74. What a beauty! No one is better living proof than Mimi about the benefits of a plant based diet. In her recipe book Live Raw: Raw Food Recipes for Good Health & Timeless Beauty she shares her secret for staying youthful, beautiful and most importantly healthy. She is amazing, and you will feel that way after eating some of her dishes for a few days. If you could buy only one book on this page, this should be it.

I was originally introduced to Kimberly Snyder, clinical nutritionist to the stars by one of my best friends – I am glad she did. Snyder specializes in the science behind why and how eating clean benefits your beauty (and health). Her older book The Beauty Detox Solution, is a great start, but I was left wanting more recipes. Thankfully she’s coming out with a new book in March 2013, The Beauty Detox Foods, with a big emphasis on recipes to help detoxing for beauty be both a delicious and easy journey.

New York Times Best Selling Author Kris Carr has an impressive story, and some equally as impressive reads on the book shelf. My favourite is Crazy, Sexy Diet. The beauty of it? It isn’t a diet at all. As with most of the books above, keys to unlocking your natural beauty lays in a plant based diet, with variations of raw food, juice and green smoothies, as well as and keeping things alkaline in the body.

Speaking of keeping it Raw, Ani Phyo – Queen of Raw – has some amazing recipes to keep things clean and healthy. Check out her series, but I recommend starting with her essentials if you’re new to the raw foodie journey.

Natural Healing:

Natural beauty is unarguably intertwined with natural healing – everything from acne to psiriasis and hair loss to halitosis – beauty goes far beyond mascara and lipgloss. It is for this reason I first and foremost include these must reads:

The amazingly comprehensive Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis and James Balch is a must have for those interested in wellness and natural beauty. Not only will it help you with combatting dry skin, but also for health issues ranging from the flu to cancer. As a note, I don’t – by any means – recommend a book to help you treat yourself for serious diseases, but I do believe knowledge is power.

This one should be top on your list if you’re curious about the scientific side of wellness. I blogged briefly about this read in my previous post on Thoughts on Dairy, and I highly recommend it. Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study, focuses on nutrition and health, and seems to uncover the link between diet and diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Natural Makeup Books

If you’re keen to learn more about the eco-beauty industry, this is your read. Eco-Beautiful: The Ultimate Guide to Natural Beauty and Wellness it’s filled with information on ingredients to look for and those to avoid, as well as routines, products and recipes. It also includes makeup tips and tricks that every woman can appreciate. It was written by eco-beauty guru Lina Hanson, who actually has her own natural skincare line – which happens to be on my “to try” list.

If you’re a lover of DIY, you will love this book. It is jam packed with recipes for hair, face and body products. Ingredients used are easy to get, so you’re not left with a book of great ideas and no way to execute them. It’s a step by step book (with photos) to make your beauty journey easy and green.

Another DIY book that focuses on easy recipes for natural beauty treatments. They specialize in cleansers, toners, moisturisers, exfoliants, masks and lip balms but also add in some extras including nail treatments, shampoos, sunscreens and deodorants. It is safe to say they cover all of the basics in this natural beauty read.

Natural Magazines

My favourite natural read monthly is Natural Health, a UK based natural health magazine that is filled with natural beauty tips, experts and ideas for DIY. I recommend getting yourself a subscription (yes, they ship internationally).

Based in the US or Canada and want something more close to home? I can recommend getting yourself a subscription to Natural Health Mag.

Wanting More?

If you’ve read most of these gems, check out my Wellness Reads Pinterest board for more (Click).

You just keep getting more amazing! :-) I’ve updated it, thanks for the blog love! You’re an inspiration!

Karen Moore

I just finished reading Valerie Harper’s book and saw your website in the credits. Never thought I’d be interested in Vegan lifestyle, but had to travel from Arkansas to Denver to National Jewish Health because of lung disease. The cardiologist there is Vegan. A few weeks ago, my husband had to have heart surgery, and we’re both looking for a better way of eating. We’ll learn from you! Thanks to Valerie Harper!

Jen

Hi Kate, lovely post! My favorite line is “My recommendation is pick what works for you, integrate what you can and make your lifestyle yours.” So true.

Hey Jen,
Thanks for your note. I find that’s always the truth – balance, balance, balance. :-)
Yes, I’ve read a few rebuttals on the China study, but not this one. Thanks for the link. I always am interested to hear both sides of the story. Thanks for this!! xx

Jen, thanks for the addition. I’ll most certainly be putting that on my reading list!! It looks great! I cooked out of one of my favourites tonight, “The Gluten Free Vegan”, it has some great meals combos.

As for the China Study rebuttal, I did read his response to her and criticisms to her studies. Regardless of what the science says, I know I feel best on a largely plant based diet and no one can argue with that :-)

I love this post and recommendations. I have to check out some of these books. Have you ever read Absolute Beauty by Pratima Raichur? It’s all about ayurvedic beauty principles and has so many wonderful recommendations and beauty concoction recipes. I love it! Also I am currently reading Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty by Summer Rayne Oakes which is wonderful. Some of my other favorites are by Mariel Hemingway, Natalia Rose and Kris Carr. I love books about health and beauty…. I can never get enough!